Fulfilling my promise here’s the second part of the “Visiting Britain’s Lead Belt: Warhammer World” article. The first part was published here yesterday so if you missed that please do check it out before reading on (here’s the link again).

Done reading it? Well, take a seat for I’m about to continue telling you how my visit to Warhammer World was.

So yesterday’s article ended on a cliffhanger right? I couldn’t help saving the best for last, so we begin today with the visit to Citadel’s Hall of Miniatures. I could try to explain the sense of wonder the place gives people, especially if you’re into the miniature painting hobby like myself, but I’ll do better and I’ll show it to you.

Without further ado here’s the video register of our trip (it looks a lot better if you watch it in HD).

“But I don’t like watching video, besides Youtube is blocked on this PC!” Well, I got you covered faithful reader, as you get to enjoy the pictures I took there without the video (but some stuff from the miniature’s hall only appears there. you’ve been warned!).

A diorama featuring a Bretonian Knight against a dragon. This very model seen more than 10 years ago inspired my Eldar army (I know it might sound weird, but trust me I’ll tell that tale someday).

Another shot from the same diorama.

Some Grey Knights and a Grand Master converted using the Lugft Huron model from Forgeworld.

A pair of Thunderhawks.

A Reaver Titan.

Another Reaver.

A Stormblade accompanied by a squadron of Imperial Bombards.

Daemons of Chaos!

A shot showing detail from the Tzeench chariots.

A shot showing a Daemon Prince and a Keeper of Secrets of Slaanesh.

If you stand still near the glass you can hear them screaming: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

The diorama entitled “The Rock” by Mike Mcvey. This diorama was on the back cover of one of the first Codex I owned.

Death Guard Terminators (Forgeworld models).

A Space Marine Captain from the Iron Hands chapter.

Tyranids from Hive Fleet Behemoth.

Tyranids from Hive Fleet Leviathan.

Necrons from the Nihilakh Dinasty.

More Nihilakh Dinasty Necrons. I really like the color combination on these models.

More Necrons.

And that’s it. The Citadel’s Hall of Miniatures was, once again, one of the coolest hobby related experiences I’ve ever had, not only because the place was a lot different from what I saw on my first visit with a lot of models added to the exhibit over the last 10 years (and evern more to come as they’re expanding the exhibit into five different areas), but also because it is amazing to see some many incredible paintjobs so close.

A life sized Space Marine.

#onlygottotheshoulder

A Chainsword.

And that’s how my second visit to Warhammer World ended. I got back at the hotel really satisfied with my day there and all the experience, even if I left really disappointed for not being able to play. No, do not feel sorry for m e yet, as there’s a twist to my tale. Sit again, because we’re not done yet.

Some models by Mike Anderson e Seb Perbet being exhibited at Warhammer World – The dragon in the photo by Mike Anderson has won the bronze in the “Warhammer Monster” category at the Golden Daemon held in 2003 in England.

Nurgle Daemon Prince by Seb Perbet – Awarded gold in the “Open” category at the Golden Daemon held in 2002 in England.

This is the very model that turned my eye to Chaos. Thanks Seb you led me astray!

A Chaos Lord. This model was entirely sculpted by Seb Perbet and won gold at the “Open” category at the Golden Daemon held in 2004 in England.

So if you’ve been following the “Visiting Britain’s Lead Belt” series of articles you’ll know by now I visited other gaming companies while staying in Nottingham (if not you can always check the articles about Mantic Games and Warlord Games), but you’ll now notice I published the articles out of order. As my visit for the second day ended around the middle of the afternoon, and I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day inside a hotel room, I thought visiting Warhammer World again sounded like a nice idea, so without wasting any time I took a quick taxi ride there again.

Upon getting there the place look a lot like it did on the previous day, with some people playing on the gaming hall tables, but on that day there were some people painting models inside the store, and since painting little figures is one of my favourite conversation subjects I hung around chatting a bit, and that’s when lady luck started making arrangements to help me out.

Full of little details Warhammer World has a lot to please every fan.

I always say it’s a lot easier to establish a friendship when you begin with a common ground, as there’s no need for that awkward conversation trying to come to that. Proving that theory of mine I ended up having a nice conversation with a fellow hobbyist that was also hanging around the store, Mr. John Hill.

As we talked John asked me If I’d like to play a game, to which I answered I had left my army all the way back in Brazil (as travelling with models on a plane is always a very big hassle). I probably had a miserable face on at that moment while he went on to explain that on the next day Warhammer World closed up late and that the club he was part of (the Forest Outlaws) would meet there, ans that’s when he said that, if I wanted, I would be welcome to join them and he even lend me an army to play against his son!

A Stompa belonging to one of the members of the Hackney Area Tabletop Enthusiasts (HATE) club.

The Orks hold their position at the HATE club game.

Another shot from the Orks.

Up we go.

Inspector Gadgetork?!

A Nurgle Helldrake converted by one of the HATE club’s members.

Another shot from the Helldrake.

So that’s how I found myself on Warhammer World again on the following day. As I got there ahead of time I decided it would be nice to get a drink at Bugman’s and lo and behold there’s Gav Thorpe visiting his friends in the studio. “Wow! That’s Gav Thorpe over there” I tought to myself as I went over to say how much I enjoyed his Path of the Eldar books.

“But who’s Gav Thorpe?” You might ask if you’re a recent convert to the GW hobby. Well he’s know today as a Black Library author (and the mind behind the “Mechanical Hamster” blog), but at one time he was the man behind Warhammer Fantasy and quite a few 40K Codexes, and that’s before he went on to assume the position overseeing all of GW’s IP’s and background (or “fluff” as we call it) before finally leaving the company (to which he still freelances writing the aforementioned Black Library books

Mr. Gav Thorpe!

John would arrive a while later so I joined him in order to meet the rest of his band of merry men the Forest Outlaws. Unfortunately his son wouldn’t be able to make it to the game that day, but John soon recruited another nice player for me to game against, and that’s how I ended up landing a game against Mr. Pugsley and his Chaos Marines using John’s Grey Knights.

However, before we got to the proper game I got invited to dine with the Outlaws at Bugman’s, and as I’m one that never passes on good food I gladly obliged. Dinner couldn’t have been a more pleasant experience making me reminisce about the meetings with the guys from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and more recently Porto Alegre during the tournaments I attended in those cities, given the nature of the meeting: A bunch of grown men enjoying good food, good beer and talking about little toy soldiers.

A sign at Bugman’s Bar.

Tiny detail that adds character to Bugman’s Bar.

It was between a bite and a gulp (or a gulp and a bite) that I got my breath knocked out of me. No I didn’t spit my drink out. Barely. I had to blink twice before checking with the guys on the table if I wasn’t mistaken “Isn’t that Jes Goodwin?” I asked and getting confirmation I wasn’t seeing things I apologized for leaving and ran to talk to the legend.

You’re not understanding any of this? Thinking I’m a complete geek? Well to give you an idea of why I couldn’t hold the fanboy in me in check I should tell you that Jes Goodwin, along with John Blanche, is the person responsible for forging the visual of the Warhammer 40.000 game, not only through his enduring “old” sculpts (and more recent ones as well) but also because of his amazing concept work for the various races in that game (and in Warhammer as well, being the responsible for unleashing the Skaven in the Old World – You can check some of his awesome art here and here). To sum it up Jes is THE MAN when it comes to designing models and his Screamer Killer Carnifex is one of the things that got me into the hobby to begin with.

I honestly can’t describe how important this guys is to the hobby and how much of a fan of his work I am (the stuff I went through to get me a copy of his “The Gothic and the Eldritch” book would deserve a post of its own) and being able to talk to him and letting him know how much of an influence he played on my hobby had no price. I could try to be blasé about it and pretend I wasn’t seeing JES GOODWIN like some people there, but I’m happy I didn’t as meeting him was one of the high points of this trip.

No gang signs! – Tony Stark/Jes Goodwin.

After meeting a legend I couldn’t ask for anything else, but I still got to play a very fun and entertaining game agains Pugsley on my favourite table in the hall. I believe he even let me win!

And on that note I must wrap this article. I think the best word to describe visiting Warhammer World for three consecutive days experiencing everything the place has to offer is indeed “Incredible”. I can’t recommend it more, so if you have the chance, waste no time finding excuses not to go and GO there. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

I think it is important to say it again that this article stands as a register of what Warhammer World like, as it is right now undergoing some heavy refurbishing in order to become an even greater place to visit. When it inaugurates its new features on the weekend of May 16th and 17th it will sport not one but FIVE new exhibition areas and will be the only place in the world where you’ll get to visit a Black Library and a Forgeworld brick and mortar store.

I should also take this chance to say farewell. I hope you have enjoyed the “Visiting Britain’s Lead Belt” as much as I have enjoyed writing them and visiting Nottingham. I should also say thanks here to a bunch of people that were important for these articles, so if you guys ever read this my heartfelt thanks to Andrew Whelan that made my visit to Mantic Games possible, Dave Lawrence and Andrew Chesney who made my visit to Warlord Games possible.

I’d also like to thank Dan Harden for taking some time off work and going down to the gaming hall to meet a White Dwarf reader and being such a nice guy; Gav Thorpe for also taking some time to talk to a fan, even if he had more pressing business to attend, and finally thank you Jes Goodwin for reeling me into this hobby with your models all those years ago and for taking the time to listen to a fan even after a hard day’s work, I’m touched by how down to earth you are and for sharing this passion for a universe with you.

And finally thank you Pugsley for playing an absolute stranger and being such a straightforward nice guy and John Hill, you’re the best mate! Thanks for lending me your models and inviting me for a game, I hope I get to retribute somehow one day.